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University of East Anglia

Ecology

You will explore topics ranging from the molecular genetics of populations, plant science and animal behavior, to environmental management, biodiversity and conservation – plus the essentials of economics and politics.
You could be discussing the theories behind evolution or behavior in a seminar one day, and experiencing the subject first-hand in the laboratory the next. Here in the lab you’ll develop techniques to explore ecology, from microbes and parasites to model organisms.
You’ll get out into the natural environment too – gaining confidence in practical field skills, survey techniques and field projects. You can choose to join one of our residential field trips to Europe or go further afield in a sub-tropical climate (currently Kenya and/or Swaziland) to test your skills in a totally different environment.
Developing your own unique, independent research takes your learning to the next level. So you’ll work with a member of our world-leading team of researchers to understand a system using the latest scientific techniques.
**Course Structure**
**Year 1**
The first year of your Ecology degree is all about developing your field skills and theoretical knowledge to give you a solid grounding in the fundamentals of ecology. You will undertake a range of modules which will see you exploring biodiversity and taxonomy as well as evolution which will enable you to explore the processes which have driven the diversity of life on Earth. Alongside this you will also consider the challenges facing ecologists today and think about solutions to some of these problems from an interdisciplinary perspective by studying alongside students from the School of Environmental Sciences. Finally you will also undertake a module based around a programme of field trips exploring some of the wonderful habitats and landscapes found across East Anglia.
**Year 2**
The second year of your degree sees you further developing your theoretical knowledge with compulsory modules that explore population and community ecology, the management of populations including the role of citizen science and Big Data and a two-week long field course in Western Ireland exploring a range of habitats, refining your survey skills and analytical techniques. You also get to choose three modules to complement all of these and might find yourself exploring the aquatic and marine environment, undertaking a further field course in the tropics, currently in Swaziland in Southern Africa or exploring environmental policy and the role of politics in science and conservation.
**Year 3**
In your final year of your studies you will undertake an independent ecological research project. Working with one of the researchers from within the School or from one of our affiliated research institutions, this project is your opportunity to explore your own areas of interest, to answer a research question that you may have developed during your studies. Your project can be field or lab-based and take place in the UK or overseas.
In addition to carrying out this research project, you will also choose to study a range of modules that help you to specialise in the areas of ecology that suit your own interests, be they the evolution of social behaviour, the role of parasites in driving host evolution or biodiversity conservation and human society. By the time you finish this final year of your studies you will have had hands-on opportunities to explore a range of temperate and tropical habitats, will have spent time exploring organisms and their anatomy, considered the role of evolution in driving the diversity of life and developed many transferable skills from report writing through to science communication.
You will graduate with an excellent grounding in Ecology, ready to apply your skills to this increasingly important field of science.
**Disclaimer**
Course details are subject to change. You should always confirm the details on the provider's website: **www.uea.ac.uk**